Much has been written – and undoubtedly there is more to come – about the Baby Boom generation and how it has changed American society. I’ll bet there are many people in their 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s who already clap their hands over their eyes and ears and yell, “Enough already with the Boomers!”
Friday, February 24, 2006
Those Were the Days
Friday, February 17, 2006
And Now the Latest Scientific Discovery…
We depend on scientific research for new medicines, healthier lives, and a cleaner environment. I was glad to read yesterday that there is new research on the environmental front that may lead to a creative use of waste materials. CNN reported that researchers at the University of Queensland in Australia have had success using a repellant made from tiger poo in warding off wild goats.
While you are chuckling, consider that the goats along with other “pest” animals, like kangaroos and feral pigs, cause hundreds of millions of dollars of damage to Australian agriculture. Talk about a ready market! The scientists believe their new poo repellant might work to ward off deer, too. That would be good news to a woman I know who collects her grandson’s used diapers and places them at the edge of her garden; she swears the dirty diapers deter the deer. I know you can buy deer repellants that contain the scent of other predators – coyote and fox, for example – but somehow I prefer the image of a majestic tiger protecting my plants.
While you are chuckling, consider that the goats along with other “pest” animals, like kangaroos and feral pigs, cause hundreds of millions of dollars of damage to Australian agriculture. Talk about a ready market! The scientists believe their new poo repellant might work to ward off deer, too. That would be good news to a woman I know who collects her grandson’s used diapers and places them at the edge of her garden; she swears the dirty diapers deter the deer. I know you can buy deer repellants that contain the scent of other predators – coyote and fox, for example – but somehow I prefer the image of a majestic tiger protecting my plants.
Monday, February 06, 2006
And She Doesn't Mince Words
If you are a writer there are two things you must do every day: writing is one and reading is the other. For the latter, my morning starts with Mount Washington, Tai Shan, and Miss Snark. Those weather geeks on top of the mountain think 100 mph winds and whacking ice with a sledge hammer are great fun. The panda cub is just plain cute. I can get rolling without either of them if I have to, but Miss Snark is a must.
Her Snarkness is a literary agent in New York who answers questions about writing, editing, and publishing with refreshing honesty. She does not suffer fools or nitwits, and yet is patient with newcomer questions, and often laugh-out-loud funny. But be warned - Miss Snark is habit-forming.
Her Snarkness is a literary agent in New York who answers questions about writing, editing, and publishing with refreshing honesty. She does not suffer fools or nitwits, and yet is patient with newcomer questions, and often laugh-out-loud funny. But be warned - Miss Snark is habit-forming.
Sunday, February 05, 2006
She Was Not Well Behaved
One of the most hated and revered women of the late 20th century died yesterday – Betty Friedan. She had the revolutionary idea that getting married, having children, and keeping a nice, clean home, were not enough. Friedan’s book, The Feminine Mystique, took the position that women should have identities of their own as individuals and not just as Mrs. So-and-So or Bobby’s Mom.
It was the start of a revolution that has benefited all women. Today’s 20- and 30-somethings cannot even wrap their minds around the idea that women might not be allowed to do or be anything they want. In less than 50 years we have finally started to tap the vast reservoir of talent in women.
In the 1960’s there were three jobs for a woman: nurse, teacher, secretary. And, of course, those were only until she snagged a man, got married, and had babies. Today’s women are astronauts, engineers, scientists, university presidents, doctors, lawyers, politicians, and yes, wives and mothers. The difference is choices, and we are so much richer for them.
I have a sign on my bulletin board: “Well behaved women rarely make history.” - Laurel Thatcher Urich. Women of every generation can be grateful that Betty Friedan was not well behaved.
It was the start of a revolution that has benefited all women. Today’s 20- and 30-somethings cannot even wrap their minds around the idea that women might not be allowed to do or be anything they want. In less than 50 years we have finally started to tap the vast reservoir of talent in women.
In the 1960’s there were three jobs for a woman: nurse, teacher, secretary. And, of course, those were only until she snagged a man, got married, and had babies. Today’s women are astronauts, engineers, scientists, university presidents, doctors, lawyers, politicians, and yes, wives and mothers. The difference is choices, and we are so much richer for them.
I have a sign on my bulletin board: “Well behaved women rarely make history.” - Laurel Thatcher Urich. Women of every generation can be grateful that Betty Friedan was not well behaved.
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Don't You Love Words?
I admit it - I’m addicted to words. I collect them like seashells, picking them up and stashing them in my electronic pocket for safekeeping. One day I’ll have time to bring them all out, spread them on my desk, and listen to the lovely cacophony. Some day.
For now, I enjoy them as they appear on my laptop’s screen. Yesterday it was “blurb.” Writers and those in publishing use it all the time. Eavesdrop on author conversations and you’ll hear things like, “You got Laura Lippman to blurb your book? Wow!” Translation: The very talented and elegant author of award-winning mysteries, Laura Lippman, has written a laudatory description for the cover of that lucky author’s book. Blurbs help sell books, and snagging a top name is a coup.
I always assumed blurb was a shortened version of some other word, much as “blog” is short of “web log.” But yesterday I learned it was made up by author Gelett Burgess. He defined it as “self-praise; to make a noise like a publisher.” Burgess wrote many fiction and non-fiction books, but was best known – to his dismay – for the “Purple Cow” poem.
If you’re a word lover you may have heard or read The Writer’s Almanac with Garrison Keillor. I was delighted to learn you can get it delivered every day to your desktop, complete with gems like “blurb.”
And then there’s “susurration”….
For now, I enjoy them as they appear on my laptop’s screen. Yesterday it was “blurb.” Writers and those in publishing use it all the time. Eavesdrop on author conversations and you’ll hear things like, “You got Laura Lippman to blurb your book? Wow!” Translation: The very talented and elegant author of award-winning mysteries, Laura Lippman, has written a laudatory description for the cover of that lucky author’s book. Blurbs help sell books, and snagging a top name is a coup.
I always assumed blurb was a shortened version of some other word, much as “blog” is short of “web log.” But yesterday I learned it was made up by author Gelett Burgess. He defined it as “self-praise; to make a noise like a publisher.” Burgess wrote many fiction and non-fiction books, but was best known – to his dismay – for the “Purple Cow” poem.
If you’re a word lover you may have heard or read The Writer’s Almanac with Garrison Keillor. I was delighted to learn you can get it delivered every day to your desktop, complete with gems like “blurb.”
And then there’s “susurration”….
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
They Mean Business
Picture a meeting room holding about 50 entrepreneurs. The noise level is a low roar as conversations overlap onto greetings and handshake introductions, “elevator” speeches and business card exchanges. The businesses represented are as varied as Web design, commercial cleaning, engineering, and mortgage banking. These small business owners graze the hors d’oeuvres, patronize the bar, and network like crazy. They are all ages, nationalities, and races. Oh yes, and they are all women.
You’ve just entered a NAWBO meeting. The National Association of Women Business Owners was formed more than 30 years ago, and today it is the voice of America’s 10.6 million women-owned businesses. That means that nearly half of all privately-held companies are at least 50% owned by a woman or women. They account for almost $2.5 trillion in sales and employ one out of every seven workers in the U.S. I have trouble wrapping my brain around numbers like that, but you get a sense of the power in the room when you see the leading corporations, banks, publishers, and educational institutions that support the local chapters.
But the best thing about NAWBO meetings is the people. The energy is contagious and empowering – I leave each event feeling I can handle anything. I’ve always been grateful for the welcome extended to me years ago when I stepped tentatively into my first NAWBO wine-and-cheese event. The faces have changed, the chapter has evolved, but the acceptance and encouragement are still there every time.
You’ve just entered a NAWBO meeting. The National Association of Women Business Owners was formed more than 30 years ago, and today it is the voice of America’s 10.6 million women-owned businesses. That means that nearly half of all privately-held companies are at least 50% owned by a woman or women. They account for almost $2.5 trillion in sales and employ one out of every seven workers in the U.S. I have trouble wrapping my brain around numbers like that, but you get a sense of the power in the room when you see the leading corporations, banks, publishers, and educational institutions that support the local chapters.
But the best thing about NAWBO meetings is the people. The energy is contagious and empowering – I leave each event feeling I can handle anything. I’ve always been grateful for the welcome extended to me years ago when I stepped tentatively into my first NAWBO wine-and-cheese event. The faces have changed, the chapter has evolved, but the acceptance and encouragement are still there every time.
Saturday, January 21, 2006
And Now I Blog For You
A few minutes ago a new site joined the Web: I Blog For You. At the nudging, pushing and downright insistence of my friend Margaret, I’m expanding my writing services to include blogging for others.
I can see the wrinkled brows from here. You’re thinking, “Isn’t the point of a blog to be intensely personal? How can someone write a blog for another person?” The answer is that it takes some time and communication at first, but it can be done, and done well.
Margaret is one of those people whose life resembles a hurricane. She’s calm in the eye of the storm as chaos roils around her. It’s a classic scenario for her Type E personality (more about Type E’s another time) and it includes zero patience for details. She has an idea, she can see it in finished form, and she wants to simply have it appear. And Margaret wanted a blog.
Now my friend would never actually stop long enough to write a blog. But she would – and did – talk through what she wants the blog to be and do for her real estate business. I Blog For You does the rest, and she concentrates on what she does best. What could be better than a win-win?
I can see the wrinkled brows from here. You’re thinking, “Isn’t the point of a blog to be intensely personal? How can someone write a blog for another person?” The answer is that it takes some time and communication at first, but it can be done, and done well.
Margaret is one of those people whose life resembles a hurricane. She’s calm in the eye of the storm as chaos roils around her. It’s a classic scenario for her Type E personality (more about Type E’s another time) and it includes zero patience for details. She has an idea, she can see it in finished form, and she wants to simply have it appear. And Margaret wanted a blog.
Now my friend would never actually stop long enough to write a blog. But she would – and did – talk through what she wants the blog to be and do for her real estate business. I Blog For You does the rest, and she concentrates on what she does best. What could be better than a win-win?
Thursday, January 19, 2006
The Power of One
Imagine receiving an award from your peers - a really important and prestigious award. Not an Oscar, nor Salesperson of the Year or even a Lifetime Achievement recognition. It’s a simple little plaque with a small silver pin attached. But engraved in delicate gold lettering it says:
Yep. Goosebumps time and maybe a tear or two. I wasn’t there when my friend Margaret received the Humanitarian of the Year award from her fellow real estate CyberStars in San Antonio recently. But I have known her quiet kindness and unobtrusive generosity, and want to add my applause. She is who I want to be when I grow up.
The Power of One
The little things you do each day have the power to affect a great many people. You inspire us with your willingness and ability to help others. You take on the day one day at a time. Continually searching for a way to make things better, seizing the opportunity to improve everyday life.
You make a world of difference.
Yep. Goosebumps time and maybe a tear or two. I wasn’t there when my friend Margaret received the Humanitarian of the Year award from her fellow real estate CyberStars in San Antonio recently. But I have known her quiet kindness and unobtrusive generosity, and want to add my applause. She is who I want to be when I grow up.
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Done Anything Memorable Lately?
That’s the headline on a sunset-orange brochure pinned to my overstuffed bulletin board. Roaring out of the sun is a yellow AT-6 Texan World War II-era airplane. The slick cover promises “High Adventure – Warm Memories – Great Experience.”
The thing is, they make good on their promises; I have the memories, photos, log book, and slightly embarrassing video to prove it. When the adventure was done I didn’t throw away the brochure. It’s still up there because it represents a delightful June morning spent rolling around the sky. And it keeps asking me, “Done anything memorable lately?”
I think a new blog qualifies. Welcome to my wanderings.
The thing is, they make good on their promises; I have the memories, photos, log book, and slightly embarrassing video to prove it. When the adventure was done I didn’t throw away the brochure. It’s still up there because it represents a delightful June morning spent rolling around the sky. And it keeps asking me, “Done anything memorable lately?”
I think a new blog qualifies. Welcome to my wanderings.
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